Schools likely focus of State of State

JACKSON -- Republican Gov. Phil Bryant is expected to focus on education in his State of the State speech at 5 p.m. Tuesday.

The speech will air live on Mississippi Public Broadcasting's radio and television stations.

Bryant is pushing for charter schools, which are free of some state regulations. He wants to allow students to transfer across districts to better-performing schools, and wants to give tax credits to people who donate money for children to enroll in private schools.

He wants to pay high performing teachers more and stiffen requirements to enter teacher colleges. Bryant also wants to ensure third-graders and seventh-graders are academically proficient before moving ahead.